Whether it's a streamline globe or an elegant cut glass fixture, a chandelier is a design element that illuminates and enhances any room. We used to think of a chandelier as the centerpiece in the dining room ceiling, something you hit your head on if the table was moved. But today designers use a chandelier to make a dramatic statement by scaling the fixture to the size of the room.

You can replace a chandelier yourself, if you are confident doing electrical projects and have a few electrical tools, but if there's any doubt in your mind, hire an electrician to make the swap. Another option is to use the installation service at the retailer where you buy the chandelier.

An electrician will charge $258 to replace an old chandelier with a new 6-light fixture, assuming the old wires are intact. That includes labor and material. You can do the job for $175, the cost of a moderately priced fixture, and save 32 percent. You'll need two ladders, one for you and the other for a helper, who should hold the chandelier you're removing and then secure the new one you're installing. A chandelier isn't necessarily heavy, but it's cumbersome and fragile, and you don't want to drop either of them.

When doing any electrical work, remember to turn off the power at the circuit panel before you begin.

The bottom line: compare the price of a contractor’s bid to hang a chandelier install a toilet with what it costs to do it yourself and make your decision. You adjust the cost to where you live by adding your ZIP Code.

Improvement and Repair Cost Updated 2019

The cost and time data is generated by averaging labor and material data from annually updated cost books used by contractors and refined by the authors'
experience remodeling 13 houses. They are authors of 20 home improvement books and Do It Yourself or Not, a weekly column syndicated by Tribune Content
Agency. The national cost can be adjusted by ZIP Code.